Dear reader,

Amid unusually warm March temperatures in many parts of the country, the weather department has forecast an early onset of summer. While those with the means will turn on their air conditioners and desert coolers, the poorest Indians will suffer the most due to lack of access to reliable electricity supply and cooling systems. 

This is why our story about low-tech, low-cost cooling solutions for slum dwellings in India is so heartening.

We also examine the technological and policy action needed to make sustainable cooling a reality across the developing world, at a time when the United Nations Environment Programme has announced that a "Cool COP Menu of Actions" will be prioritised at the COP28 climate talks in November.

The health effects of global heating are becoming clearer around the world, with increasing incidence of respiratory conditions, some cancers, kidney disease, vector-borne illnesses and mental health issues. This is why India's decision to include climate change in its medical school curriculum hasn't come a day too soon, healthcare practitioner and expert Karan Thakur writes in an opinion piece. 

While rich-country governments and companies discuss solar geo-engineering to curb global heating, scientists in the Global South are studying what artificial sun-dimming could mean for their communities. One team in Pakistan is focusing on malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that affects millions in tropical and sub-tropical countries every year. Listen to this podcast to know more about this fascinating research.

Could India and Pakistan fight water woes together?

Could a focus on climate ease the long-standing water woes between India and Pakistan, a story by Thomson Reuters Foundation asks. Analysts say the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which splits the storied Indus river and its tributaries between the bitter foes, should be revised to cover climate change as both sides scramble to build hydropower dams. 

A common enemy: air pollution

A story in The Third Pole points out how Delhi in India and Lahore in Pakistan, divided since the 1947 Partition of India at the hands of the British, could be united in fighting a common enemy – smog. Air pollution in the region reaches crisis levels every winter, yet neither city has made much progress in the battle. Transboundary cooperation is critical for tackling air pollution, says The Great Smog of India author Siddharth Singh.

Have its coal and burn it too

When India fought hard to have references to coal "phase out" changed to "phase down" during COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, its intention to continue using coal was clear. Now, India appears unlikely to sign a deal with richer nations this year for a just energy transition, as international funding rests on India committing to a timeline to phase out coal. This is an “unviable” proposition for the country, some energy analysts say.

Invest in renewables today to curb tomorrow's heatwaves

Heat mortality is 20 to 30 times higher in India than the United States, partly due to energy inequality. Well-intentioned public policy aimed at limiting energy use to fight the climate crisis could have unintended health consequences, found a study by the universities of Hong Kong and Berkeley, California. Countries must ramp up renewable capacity to protect against heat extremes without making them worse. India added US$14.5 billion in solar power alone during the 2021-22 financial year, it adds.

Indian camel herders cash in with solar-powered coolers

At least 700 camel herder families in India's arid northwestern districts of Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are using solar-powered milk chillers. Summer temperatures can reach 52 degrees Celsius in the region, and dairy produce would routinely spoil until an NGO installed four milk chillers within walking distance of eight villages in the area.